


The Plague

by Vesuvian_American



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 06:07:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17913245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesuvian_American/pseuds/Vesuvian_American
Summary: This work is based off of the song The Plagues from the Dreamworks movie The Prince of Egypt. Lucio will go to any means to have his cure for the plague. Even purposely infecting someone else with it.





	The Plague

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of a song from my favorite movie! Someone requested this for the song prompt challenge but I liked it so much I'm posting it separately! Enjoy!

The innocent suffer each and every day because of Lucio’s stubbornness. The plague has fallen onto the Vesuvia and has been taking lives for over 7 months now. Lucio lay locked up in his quarters at the end of the West Wing, isolated and closed off from the outside world. Most die of the plague within three days' time, the Count, however, has been suffering ever since the first man died all those months ago. Even if he knows that he’s the cause of the plague he won't leave Vesuvia to save its innocent citizens he stands his ground and remains in the palace while the city withers away. Dead bodies lay in the streets, no one is surviving, no one lives long enough to see treatment. Most die before they even know they’ve been infected. Plague beetles litter the streets and paint the town red, Lucio wouldn’t know, he doesn’t dare look outside. He doesn’t want to feel any remorse or guilt, it’s his mission to survive this, no matter the cost. How could he leave Vesuvia? Everyone here loves Lucio, or so he thinks. 

“Valdemar, bring me Doctor Jules, I need a word.” Lucio coughs, weakened and bed ridden. Without a word Valdemar slithers out of the Count’s bedroom without making a sound, keeping their eyes locked on the Count’s. If Lucio hadn’t seen them leave, he would have thought they were still there, watching him with wide scarlet eyes, like how a child would stare eagerly at a birthday cake, waiting for permission to devour it. Time had passed before the auburn-haired doctor stepped into the Count’s room sheepishly. “Ah, y-yes Count Lucio? You rang?” He sputtered, wringing his gloved hands together. Sweat beaded at his furrowed brows as he entered the room, keeping in mind to stay near the door. He didn’t want to get too close to Lucio, one he had an ill temper, and two, he was sick with the plague. “What on Earth are you doing all the way over there?” The Count spat at him, beckoning him closer with his golden arm. His white shirt stuck to the skin, glued there by a cold sweat. After a moment of hesitation, the fretful plague doctor inched his way to the Count’s bedside. Lucio had a wicked grin but patiently waiting as Doctor Jules made his way over, he watched his every move, intimidating him purposefully. 

“How’s the cure coming? I want to be healthy by the time my birthday party comes! You do know when that is, correct Jules?” He taunted, Lucio was good at scaring people, that was the type of ruler he was. A dictator if you will, he wants to be feared and pass it off as love and respect. “Well, your birthday is just around the corner Lucio! It’s uh, it’s...?” Jules pondered, darting his eyes around the room trying to fight off the Count’s disapproving gaze. “It’s in two weeks you bastard! Where’s my cure? We only need enough for me right now!” Lucio snarled, slamming his fists onto his mattress, the stress that put of his body sent him into a violent coughing fit. The doctor flinched and backed away, his face going red from embarrassment. “My uh, my apologies! About the er, about the cure, we’re just not there yet. I haven’t seen my apprentice in weeks and Valdemar is always watching you. The rest of the doctors and I are working our hardest.” he yelped, voice shaky with fear. Silence fell over the room. The only thing either one of the men could hear was Jules’ heartbeat. “Uh, Lucio? I’m very sorry I, I can get right back to work!” the lanky doctor turned to walk out of the room when a golden hand latched onto his throat. The Count was weakened but that golden arm wasn’t organ, it still had its strength. Doctor Jules stopped dead in his tracks, the hairs on the back of his neck would have risen if Lucio’s firm grip wasn’t holding them down. 

“Turn. Around.” Lucio’s voice erupted like thunder from his chest, Jules had never heard him speak like this but he abided. His eyes were shit tight but when he slowly turned to face Count Lucio, he opened his grey eyes. The fearful man was frozen in Lucio’s hold, staring into the Count’s infected eyes. He was so scared he wouldn’t dare tear his eyes away, as much as he wanted to. Held in a death match with the Count, Jules trembled with fear. Lucio’s stare penetrated deep into the doctor’s soul, it felt like hours had passed without him blinking. Only inches away, finally Lucio let his breath tickles Jules’ lips before he spoke. “Maybe I’ve been too easy on you lot down in the dungeon. You need one last push to get me my cure, eh? Then I’ll give it to you.” The blonde-haired man dragged Doctor Jules to his powder room and locked it behind them. When he released the taller man from his grips, Jules’ released a shaky breath he didn’t know he was holding and lightly clutched his bruised neck. Wincing in pain, Jules’ attempted to turn around to face his captor, but he was knocked out cold with a karate chop to the neck. When he came to Lucio was straddling him, one hand holding the doctors mouth open and the other hidden behind his back. 

“Doctor Julian Devorak. I wish it hadn’t come to this, but I need to be fit as a fiddle for the masquerade, and the eve of my birthday draws ever nearer...” Lucio cooed. Julian tried to shuffle from under the weight of Lucio’s body but he was trapped. His eyes darted around the room as he tried to remember where he was, before he could come to a conclusion Lucio snapped his mouth open further. Julian shut his eyes in pain and made a suffering noise that fell onto deaf ears. Lucio only peered deep down into Julian’s throat before he simply dropped a red blur into his mouth. Using both hands, Lucio shut the doctor’s mouth shut making his teeth crash together. Something was scrambling in Julian’s mouth but it wasn’t long before he understood what was happening. A plague beetle was in his mouth. Lucio would go as far as to force the plague onto Julian just so that he could have a cure. 

“I’ve sent the plague unto Jules. Be a good boy and swallow for me, hm? Maybe this will motivate you to work harder!” Lucio kept his mouth shut, he used all of his strength to keep Julian underneath him and make him swallow the beetle. Tears flooded Julian’s eyes. The beetle scratched its way deeper into his throat and he felt every bit of it. Neither Julian nor Lucio kept track of time, but both could tell exactly when the beetle made its way into Julian’s stomach. The doctor quaked harder and harder under the Count, until finally he stood. Julian didn’t move, he just laid there, eyes watery and both hands clamped over his mouth. Lucio kicked him in the stomach as if the kill the beetles and really make the plague seep into Julian’s veins. 

“Jules. I have hardened my heart from birth. I will never mind how high the cost may grow. I will have my cure. I don’t care if there’s only enough for one man, that man that will be cured will be me! So, find me that damn cure and get the hell out of my sight!” He unlocked and opened the door, without missing a beat Julian scampered out of the powder room and as far away as he could get away from the West Wing before he threw up. He tried his hardest to free himself of the plague but he could already feel himself deteriorating. Lucio plopped himself back into bed and rewarded himself with a glass of red wine. Laughing into the night, alone.


End file.
